As the drive from Mandalay to Bagan is about 4 hours, it is best to set out early in the morning so you can avoid the hot afternoon heat. Otherwise, trying to sightsee hundreds of pagodas in 40C heat can be frustrating. So we left Kyaukse around 5am and stopped at Meik-Hti-Lar Pit Stop for breakfast. The food was slightly more expensive compared to other places BUT that pit stop opens 24 hours, it was really clean, the service was efficient and there was free Wi-Fi. So I guess its worth it yea.